Totem Quilt Block Pattern

For this totem quilt block pattern I wanted to use some of my new fabrics, but I think that I was a little over enthusiastic and the design would have shown up better if I had used plain fabrics. The three blue triangles would be more defined if I had used a plain blue fabric, but this one is so pretty that I wanted to use it straighaway! I went to a trade day yesterday and bought some stunning fabrics which I’m hoping to get photographed today so that I can put them on the website. I’m planning to hold a discount event later this week, so watch this space.

I’ve made the totem quilt block 8″ square using a light, medium and dark fabric. It is classified as a four patch block.

Cutting requirements for the totem quilt block

2.7/8″ squares: one each in red and cream, three each in red and blue

2.1/2″ squares: five cream and three blue

Making the totem quilt block

Make half square triangles

Make half square triangles with all the 2.7/8″ squares in the colour pairings listed above. Place two squares with right sides together and mark a line along the diagonal. Sew a 1/4″ seam either side of the marked line and cut along the line to produce two half square triangles from each pair of squares. Press the seam allowance towards the darker fabric and trim the corners where the triangle points stick out. These will now be 2.1/2″ squares.

Totem quilt block layout

Lay the patchwork squares out in four rows of four. The red half square triangles are all placed facing the same way, which makes life easier. The blue squares are placed so that each square forms a larger triangle with two blue triangles.

Sew the squares across each row

Sew the squares together across each row and then sew the rows to each other to complete the totem quilt block. This will make a great quilt because when several of the blocks are sewn together you’ll be able to get a pattern from the large blue triangles forming a grid.

This is the first full week after all the Christmas and New Year festivities so it’s going to be a week of sorting things out and catching up with working life again.